How to Make Beaded Bookmarks

Beaded bookmarks are a simple, easy craft that is fun to do with the kids. Turn a few basic materials into unique bookmarks and marking your reading spot becomes an aesthetic experience! Keep reading and we'll show you how to make the cutest beaded bookmarks!

I don't collect many things (who has the space?) but I do love my collection of bookmarks. I love that these cute, mini diy beaded bookmarks can be put to use, unlike a lot of crafts which just sort of lay around, collecting dust.

Today I am pleased to share a bookmark craft collaboration with Babble Dabble Do. Ana is awesome designer so she came up with the project idea and we supplied a complementary book list. Be sure to check out the chapter books at the end of the post so you can get started using your new bookmarks!

How to Make Beaded Bookmarks

Ana made some very cute paper clip mini bookmarks out of Perler beads! I decided to see what we already had on hand to work with, so my son and I headed to our bead bin filled with beads that had somehow made it into our lives. When you have kids you sort of magically accumulate stuff, right?

We had a few Perler beads and we were able to make one Perler bead bookmark, but we did make a bunch of non-Perler beaded bookmarks. I'll show you how to make cute bookmarks from beads and wire.

What You Need

• Paperclips
• Thin, flexible wire
• Assorted beads like pony beads, seed beads or other decorative beads

Instructions

We ran out of Perler beads pretty quickly, so I threaded some seed, wooden and letter beads on the wire, twisted it in a circle and then around the top of the paperclip. I'm not that good at making photo tutorials, but if I could figure it out, anybody can.

Measure how long you want the bead accessory that you'll attach to the paperclip to be. We made several small circles and also used straight lengths of wire.

Next, thread your beads onto the lengths of wire. If you have alphabet beads, feel free to spell out a word, like "READ," "BOOK," or your name.

My son used green and black beads to make a lightsaber bookmark! He informed me that green lightsabers are the most powerful. Although I'm not sure about the fighting strength of a floppy green bookmark. But never mind.

Finally, attach the beaded bit of wire to the top of a paperclip by twisting the wire ends securely around the clip.

I think this wooden one is my favorite:

Don't miss our never-lose-'em ribbon paper paper clip bookmarks! Watch the video below to see how to make them:

Books about Reading

What better type of book to go with your kids' fabulous new diy beaded bookmarks than a book with a reading or library theme? Here are five middle grade novels below that are great for readers ages 8 to 13.

The Great Good Thing. Roderick Townley is one of my favorite lesser-known authors. Do characters seem real beyond the pages? Well, that's because they are. In this metafictional tale, Sylvie decides that 80 years of living the same story over and over as the character in a book has gotten a bit dull. She decides to break the most important rule of all book character rules: she looks up at The Reader. Townley explores the wonder of books and how they merge with our imaginations and lives. I heartily recommend this for grown-ups, too. (Bonus! Click here to see some of my favorite metafictional picture books.)

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. If you've ever dreamed of spending a night in the library, this is the adventure for you. Luigi Lemoncello, a world-famous game creator has designed the local library and 12 7th graders get to spend the night. They have exactly 24 hours to find the secret exit and win a prize.

Originally on my list of 8 books for 8 year olds, The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity follows 12-year-old Steve, who dreams of being a detective and has studiously read and re-read The Baily Brothers Detective Handbook. He knows everything about solving crimes, which comes in handy when he finds himself thrown into the middle of an exciting mystery involving the United States Department of Library Sciences. Every book in this series has tons of adventure, twist and turns, loads of intelligent humor and a satisfying ending.

Inkheart. There's something so wonderful about characters escaping the confines of their stories. Meggie's father's read aloud skills are so magical he is actually able to read characters out of the books! Unfortunately, an evil character he has read out of a book is on a mission to bring him down and Meggie's father has accidentally read his wife into a book. Spellbinding.

My 9-year-old has been speeding through the How to Train Your Dragon books and in book 6, A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons, we find out that Vikings think books are dangerous. They even keep them locked up so they don't influence young minds! Hiccup's dragon is in trouble, and in order to save Toothless he must face the Hairy Scary Librarian and steal an important book. I hope your own library adventures are this fun, if not this dangerous.